Bridgeport officer who shot himself to face judge

Friday

BRIDGEPORT — A Bridgeport police officer who accidentally shot himself in the leg in a crowded bagel shop will be making his first court appearance in the case.

Officer Juan Santiago is scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Bridgeport Superior Court on a charge of unlawful discharge of a firearm. He and his lawyer have declined to comment.

State police say Santiago was sitting with three other city officers at the Bagel King on Main Street on Dec. 17 when he mishandled a pistol that fired a shot through his left thigh. Santiago was treated at a hospital, but no one else was hurt.

Some city residents protested and criticized police in the weeks after the incident for not immediately arresting Santiago, who was charged earlier this month by state police.

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